For parents, time management skills start to be challenged as soon as the first baby is born. As families grow bigger and older, schedules become tighter and busier. And, unfortunately, the challenge of time management becomes more difficult with each year and each child.

There are kids to drive, kids to tutor, kids to cook for, and to care for. Add to this long list of errands those additional trips and planning you have to make when older kids discover social life. So now they have parties, sleep-overs, study groups, outings… (Que horror!)

Because of these, most parents eventually become expert time managers. But, being humans (contrary to popular belief that we are super-humans), we sometimes lag and fall behind at being good role models for our kids.

It’s important to be reminded that children learn by example. “Practice what you preach” is a good guiding principle. And it is especially apt with time management. Kids see when we procrastinate, cram and make them the butt of our stress. (Picture looks familiar, eh? I know!)

A 2000 study published in the American Journal of Health Sciences has shown that kids who were able to efficiently allot time for certain tasks had less anxiety and enjoyed more leisure time in school. So if you want less stressed kids, teach them proper time management.

If you’re a parent with kids and tips to share, just leave a comment below by answering these two simple questions:

a. How important is teaching time management to your kids?
b. What’s the best tip that you can share to other parents regarding teaching your child time management?

The three parents with the most unique and creative answers, to be judged by an independent person (not me),will each win a Kids Watch Central watch.

A person can only win once. Contest runs from now up to July 9, 2010. Winners will be announced here on July 10.

Winners must present an email of acknowledgment from me and can claim their prizes from Cathy Muncal at 6F Cambridge Center Building, 108 Tordesillas cor Gallardo Sts., Salcedo Village Makati City or at Urban Time Boutique at SM North Edsa Annex. Prizes of the provincial winners will be sent via courier.

Now, go – comment away! 🙂

Note: Design of watch to be given away is not necessarily the one in photo above.

7 thoughts on “Time management by example: Share your ideas for a chance to win a watch!”

a. I have a one-year old baby, so its hard to teach her at this point about time management. Nevertheless, I believe it is never too early to start doing so. Since babies just follow a routine as their guide as to what time is it, I make sure I stick to that routine, whatever happens. The importance of teaching time management to my kid is as important as teaching her discipline at this early age. Essentially, time management is all about discipline. So if my kid does not know how to follow her routine for the day by managing the time allotted for each activity or task, then it may mean that she has a problem with discipline. This is why we, parents, must let our kids know when its time to play or eat, because things as simple as this, become our gauge whether they can follow simple rules or not.

b. Since I am just a novice compared to others, I can only share that in order for us to teach our kids time management, we must walk the talk. For me, I sacrifice my TV time nightly so that my baby will go to sleep, because I am teaching her that such time is for sleeping. So no matter how I rave to see the who makes it to the bottom three of American Idol, since it was sleeping time for my baby, then I’d have to wait for re-runs lest my baby stay up late too. Even if I feel not eating lunch on time, but because I have to teach my baby that 12PM is for lunch, all of us eat by hook or by crook. I guess the same will work for all parents out there. If our kids see that we have the same discipline we are teaching them, then there is no reason for them not to follow.

I have a 7yr. old boy. I can say that he definitely is an organized person. Teaching him as young as 3yr. old help him to achieve more and finish his things on time. He knows the importance and value of time. As I always remind him, Time Wasting is like throwing your dreams in a Garbage. Every second is important.

Being a role model to your child is the best example to show Time Management. If you`ll tell your child to turn off the TV because of Bedtime, you should really mean it. And not getting out of the bedroom and watch at the Sala.

I think the most important thing about time management is to stick to a routine. Routines help keep everyone on track because everybody knows what will happen next (if it’s play time or sleep time already) and what will be affected if one does not cooperate in the here and now (when my son makes dressing up a hassle during bed time, he knows his reading time is reduced). Really little kids have no idea of time by the hour anyway so routines help them have that vague idea.

Routines are also important so parents can enjoy their kids because sooner or later, everybody learns to respect each and everybody’s activities and work together to have that quality time just hanging out with each other.

And because my two (turning three) year old has no idea of time by the hour yet, we use the “last five minutes, last two minutes” approach with him when he’s playing or when we’re making him wait. We don’t cheat too and it’s easier getting him to stop playing, to say goodbye to friends, to stop other activities because he was prepared for it. It also helps him when we’re asking him to wait before we can give him our undivided attention. It also lends itself to taking turns.

One other thing thaqt helps us with our time management is sharing tasks… and even our child contributes to it by helping pack his toys away. He knows that if he doesn’t, then it will affect Mommy’s time and energy for the other activities.

We bought this wall clock because of its chimes. It’s pretty easy for my 5-year old daughter (and for us grown ups too) to be aware that an hour has passed.

The clock chimes once, she knows it’s 1 o clock, and she must have finished her lunch.

The clock chimes twice, she counts and learns it’s 2 o clock, it’s time to do her homework before she hears the clock chimes thrice.

The clock chimes thrice, it’s 3! her homework is done. she gets her reward – an hour of free play. She takes out her dolls, or her drawing tablet, but most likely she will watch mommy-approved cartoons.

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I started blogging in 2006 after giving birth to Nate, partly due to boredom. :) I really just wanted to try creating an online journal about my kids, and also to see if the knack for writing was still there.
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